A Brief History

HISTORY

In the midst of the Civil War in 1863, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation creating the Arizona Territory.

The War was costly to the government and federal leaders were most likely influenced by the prospect of mineral wealth in the area that became the Arizona Territory. A few months later, in May 1863, that promise came to fruition as an exploration party led by Captain Joseph R. Walker discovered gold in the Bradshaw Mountains, just south and east of present-day Prescott.

A subsequent discovery of gold in the Antelope Mountains set in motion a chain of events which led to the establishment of Fort Whipple on the banks of Granite Creek, the founding of the town of Prescott on May 30, 1864, and its designation as the first capital of Arizona Territory, as well as the seat of government for newly-created Yavapai County. Adventurers – miners in search of gold – and farmers and ranchers seeking a new beginning on land made available through the federal Homestead Act, merchants, lawyers, and others simply seeking a new opportunity came to Prescott.

Together they created a community with schools, churches, business establishments, other social organizations and, of course, saloons and brothels. Eventually came the railroads and other indicia of 19th century modernization, such as electricity and public water service.

To be sure, Prescott in its territorial years was a frontier town and had its share of crime, rowdyism and an occasional gunfight on Whiskey Row. Over time it matured and developed into a commercial center for the central highlands. The settlement and development of Prescott and its surrounding region came at the expense of the Yavapai, the native people who had occupied the region for centuries before the influx of those drawn there by the promise of riches and other opportunities. The inevitable conflict between the two cultures forced the Yavapai onto a reservation at San Carlos in southeastern Arizona. In the early 1900s, the Yavapai returned to Prescott where – as the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe – they now play a vital role in the region’s economy as the owner/operator of a modern shopping center and two gaming casinos.

Prescott lost its standing as the territorial capital in 1867 when the capital was moved to Tucson by an act of the Legislature. Prescott regained it in 1877. As the population and political influence shifted, the capital was permanently relocated to Phoenix in 1889. Prescott continues to serve as the county seat of Yavapai County. Prescott continued to prosper and develop, and by 1920 could boast a population of approximately 5,000.

THE SHARLOT HALL MUSEUM: ONE WOMAN’S

LEGACY STANDS STRONG by Fred Veil, (Ret.) Executive Director, Sharlot Hall Museum

At the age of 12, a young Miss Sharlot Hall arrived in Prescott by covered wagon with her family. The year was 1882 and, after three months of hard travel along the ol’ Santa Fe Trail, the family established roots in the Prescott area.

On the family homestead, this homeschooled young woman developed an intense interest in local history. She began writing down the stories she heard from old-timers of the frontier, her own experiences on the trail and ranch, and the joys and hardships of ranching, mining, and surviving in the Arizona Territory.

Sharlot Hall was a forward-thinking woman of passion and daring, at a time when most women didn’t dare have a vision at all. With her fascination and love for Arizona, Sharlot sought to conserve and preserve its vanishing heritage and traditions. Her writings grew in popularity and she became an associate editor of Out West magazine.

By 1909 she was appointed Territorial Historian, the first woman in Arizona to hold public office. Her first volume of verse, Cactus and Pine, was published two years later. A political activist, Sharlot lobbied to defeat a bill in Congress that would have merged Arizona and New Mexico territories into a single state. She punctuated this with the publishing of her famous Arizona poem—and placed it on the desk of every senator and representative.

During the 1925 election, Sharlot cast Arizona’s votes at the Electoral College when Calvin Coolidge became President. After touring many private and public museums in the East, she returned to Prescott determined to preserve Arizona’s pioneer and Native American history for future generations. She secured a lease on the grounds where the first Territorial Governor’s Mansion stood, restored the building, and continued gathering and preserving artifacts.

She opened the old logstyle building as a museum in June, 1928. For almost a century, the Museum that now bears her name has grown from a single building into a heritage campus with 11 exhibit buildings (six of which are historic). This cultural institution stands today as a testament to a remarkable pioneer’s foresight, tenacity and determination.

Sharlot seated in the Governors Mansion

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